Debating article

What is your attitude towards academic subjects such as reading literature, the disappearance of dialects or the use of fictionalisations in news articles? The debating article takes up subject matters for debate, and here your attitude should burn through. If you do not have an attitude, then avoid writing the debating article. If you have an attitude, but you are not able to argue strongly about it, then you should also consider finding another genre to write in.

The debating article as genre

The debating article is characterized by a strong and solid argumentation for a view on a subject, written in a personal language. This means that the reader must be able to clearly identify your point of view and be greeted by good, solid arguments that can convince, which show an understanding of the outside world and can draw on a professional knowledge.

In the following, the genre is presented on the basis of Cicero’s pentagram, with a particular focus on what the topic, the recipient and the genre mean for how the argumentation should take place. You need to write with an awareness of who your recipient is. The recipient is generally culturally and artistically interested, so he or she follows literature, film and media in general.

The receiver is between 27 and 60 and can come from Thy or Hellerup. Furthermore, it is familiar with academic concepts and literary history and could therefore be a reader of Politiken or Weekendavisen and would like to see debate and culture on DR2 and DRK. In general, being a dance teacher is pretty close, but so are other than dance teachers. The recipient has an impact on your language and on how to argue persuasively.

The argument

The reasoning must be strong and solid. Your recipient group means that pathos probably won’t be the most compelling form of appeal. Logos work better. So have arguments that hold. Be wiser than the texts you are asked to use. Think in principle, think in consequences – think about the great culture and habits. In the debating article, you should be able to address some academic issues at an overall level.

Therefore, you should have evidence for your argument: Truth postulates are not pondus in. Arguments with evidence. And preferably with argument types that appeal to logos: causal argument, character argument, classification and generalization arguments.

Because your recipient reads literature and is generally interested in the arts and media, your language must be compelling.

Your language must have a personal voice: The language must have a personal touch. You need some linguistic imagery or rhetorical means, so it is clear that you have made a mark on your text with a personal voice. The language must therefore not be soberly, objectively reproduced and emptied of value charges. On the contrary. You must burn through, dare to write in imagery and use other linguistic but also rhetorical tools

Your language must be varied: You must master your language skills. This means that you need to be able to switch between high and low style and just apply the two styles where it has a clear effect and makes sense. You need to be able to switch between the cash, the sober and the objective language, and then the more exuberant language – guided by a lust for creativity and creativity.

Your language must be fluent: it must be coherent and the transition from one to the other must be natural. A question can take you further. Problematizing your own point of view can lead to a defense of the point of view.
Your language should be clear and correct: it must be clear what you mean and not uncertainty about what you mean. Furthermore, all linguistic errors must be avoided as they destroy your ethos.

Even the task – what to do?

The subject is in focus, so it is the subject you have to relate to and have an attitude about. But there are some texts you need to include and relate to. The texts point into the topic and have a relevance to the topic, so they must be included in the assignment and you must relate to them. Especially the one text you must clearly relate to, typically discussing its views.

You need to include the other texts in the text. They may be included by discussing what they are saying, but they may also be texts that in themselves reflect some trends or issues related to the topic. The texts therefore do not necessarily relate to the topic, but may provide some angles on the topic. Always read the assignment description thoroughly so you know what to do with the individual texts.

The structure

First is an introduction that leads the reader into the topic. Here you should introduce the topic and want to point into the core of the debate. Because you probably do not know what the essence of the debate is when you start your assignment, it makes sense to write your introduction first as the last, because then you know what is at stake in your assignment.

Start the writing process by relating the views of the first text (if that is the text from which the task statement asks you to include main points of view and other arguments). Here you should discuss the views of another text.

Then you get further into the topic and include the other text (s) – and other. Leave the first text you wrote about in the first paragraph. Shade your point of view. Point out problems at your point of view, but defend them anyway.

Round up the task of picking up on your main point of view so that it is clear at the end of your task as a form of collection.

How do I begin my assignment?

The idea phase:

Brainstorm the topic before reading the texts associated with the task. Get so many angles on the topic; think of consequences for society, for our culture, for humanity. Think in paradoxes, dilemmas – problems and solutions. Think in contrasts: power vs. freedom, freedom vs. consideration of other, individual-community. You cannot apply a formula to all task topics, so you have to do the work of thinking about possibilities, consequences, paradoxes.

In the brainstorming, you must also relate what your attitude is to the topic.

Read and review the material What angles do they give on the subject?

Explain the views of one text with the main point of view first. Then you get started and ready to write your assignment.

Writing phase:
Start by writing the section where you relate to the views of the text that you have been asked to relate in the assignment form. Discuss the views by arguing.

Discuss the topic more broadly. Use ideas from your idea phase. Include the rest of the text material. When dealing with the texts, relate nuanced and personal to the subject.

Do proofreading

Is there a red thread throughout the assignment? Is your point of view clear – and well argued?

Can the language be sharpened and made more alive and personal? Sentence length variation? Are there passages that can gain a little more pondus by using linguistic and rhetorical means?

Point yourself at the three / four passages that are really good. If you can’t find them, they can’t read either, so rewrite some of the passages so they burn through.

Other things…
You may want to use ‘I’, but don’t overdo it. Also use ‘man’ or write the personal pronouns from the text.